Tag: body

An optimist may see a light where there is none, but why must the pessimist always run to blow it out? ~Rene Descartes

I never realized how much I like the GPS until we went to the UK. “Judy” told us every twist and turn along the way. We didn’t get lost- not once. Even on the one-way bridge that I was certain was closed, Judy saw us safely to our destination.

A couple of years later when we visited French Quebec, we bought a SIM card for Canada. But most places in Canada weren’t covered by our phone. Once we made it through border patrol, we discovered Judy was mute.

Our French leaves a lot to be desired, and we hadn’t brought a map because, well, Judy.

We headed north and prayed.

Searching for the Plains of Abraham park in Quebec City wasn’t so bad. There were a few signs that sent us in the right direction, but then we had to find parking. The directions I had looked at and printed before we left home didn’t prepare us for construction or a festival.

We pulled into a parking garage, put the truck in park, and breathed a sigh of relief. We had made it.

Only we hadn’t.

We couldn’t figure out how to get out of the parking garage. I know. I know. How hard could it be?

We entered the doors for pedestrians and were suddenly trapped in a maze of corridors and French-only signs. Arrows pointed to the ‘sortie’ but that was the exit for the people who worked in the attached office building.

We followed more arrows to a door. I started to open it, but Matt noticed the ‘urgence seulement’ and stopped me. He had seen a sign with listed fines for opening the door.

After half an hour- no exaggeration- we made our way into the sunlight.

What does that have to do with the Bible?

Just this-

Matt and I approach problems differently. I am an optimist; he is a pessimist. I am a “push the door open and see what happens” kind of gal; he is a “keep-your-butt-out-of-prison” kind of guy. We work well together. I provide the excitement; he provides the stability.

Both are needed.

We need people in the kingdom who can take us on a wild ride of adventure, and we need people who look ahead and read the signs. We need heads that think, eyes that see, and hearts that weep and rejoice. (1 Corinthians 12) The kingdom needs optimists to say, “We can enter the land.” (Numbers 14) And the kingdom needs pessimists who are willing to prophesy even when we know no one will listen. (Jeremiah 7:27)

Sometimes pessimists get a bad rap from us optimists. They never have fun. They don’t want to try something new. They think too much.

And sometimes pessimists don’t give optimists enough credit. That will never work. There they go again leaping before they look. Why don’t they ever think these things through?

But when we work together we can break out of the parking garage and get moving again.

One person could be overpowered.But two people can stand up for themselves.And a rope made out of three cords isn’t easily broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12 NIRV

The moment I have realized God sitting in the temple of every human body, the moment I stand in reverence before every human being and see God in him – that moment I am free from bondage, everything that binds vanishes, and I am free. ~Swami Vivekinanda

My children have been raised in the South. They know about sunscreen. We spray it, slather it, and squirt it. Experience has been a hard task master when it comes to sunburn.

These two boys have kept me busy with ER visits, Urgent Care trips, and calls to the aunt who’s a nurse. We have a closet full of steroids for poison ivy, allergy pills for sudden attacks, antibiotic ointment for cuts and abrasions, and syrup of Ipecac just in case. Thankfully I never needed that one.

I have a special box for Band-Aids, wrapping bandages, and adhesive tape. Boxes of heat relief pads stand near bottles of aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen just waiting for pulled muscles or aching heads.

We do our best to protect our body from pain and disease. We feed our body nutrient-rich foods, drink plenty of water, and exercise. We wash our hands, brush our teeth, and trim our hair.

Sometimes, . . . we even have ice cream. Shh.

But.

You’re asked to teach the children’s Bible class next quarter and just can’t find the time or energy.

The church teens are going to a youth rally and need a chaperone. You can’t even imagine.

The seniors’ group is looking for someone to head up a card ministry. That’s too outdated for you.

A Christian sister needs a ride for an MRI scan, but you’re just too busy . . .

The Christian family is more than just family. We are a body. We are here to protect each other, heal each other, help each other, love each other, even spoil each other.

Are you treating the church as well as you do your own body?

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function,so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Romans 12:3-5 ESV